The swim and dive team traveled to Annapolis, Maryland, on Saturday to compete in its final non-playoff meet at the Navy Invite. There were many successful performances, with two program records broken, though only one Leopard, a freshman, notched a victory.
The freshman, Daisy Decker, came in at 17:48.12 in the 1650-yard freestyle, a personal best. She said she felt the team’s support going into the race.
I had “a massive crowd of supporters behind me and going into the huddle with my three other teammates before the race helped boost my mindset that we are all in this together,” she said.
Leading the race since the beginning of the first lap, seeing her final time was a joyful moment for Decker.
“I was out ahead of everyone from the 500 [yard] point onwards but wasn’t expecting to drop seven seconds off my best time,” Decker said. “So looking at that scoreboard after all the hurt during the race, I broke down into tears of joy when I saw I a personal best and placed first in the event.”
Sophomore Isabella Van Ess broke the school record in the 100-yard individual medley, finishing in 58.63 seconds while claiming the fifth spot at the meet.
The divers also had success, as freshman Mia Guster placed second in the 1-meter dive. Scoring a 251.90, she now holds the program record.
Along with her fellow freshmen, Guster has been able to make waves throughout the season.
“The team is a completely different team than last year,” sophomore diver Katie Hensell said. “The freshmen especially have gotten Lafayette Diving noticed. Mia is a great addition to the team.”
When it came to the men’s performances, there was only one podium finish. Junior Peter Kawash finished third in the 100-yard individual medley.
“Peter Kawash is a natural captain,” Hensell said. “He takes training very seriously and is dedicated to the sport even outside of the pool. His third-place finish against Navy is proof of his hard work this season.”
The team returns to Annapolis from Feb. 21-24 for the 2024 Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championships. All 10 Patriot League programs will compete to claim the 2024 title in Lejeune Hall.
“Our goals as a team are to not only go to beat times, break records, make the all-time top 10 list, but also to build the team dynamic and make our last meet a great one,” Decker said.